Category Archives: Latest news

António Guterres, Secretary-General-designate of the United Nations, takes the oath of office for his five-year term, which begins on 1 January 2017. The oath was administered by Peter Thomson, President of the 71st session of the General Assembly. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

12 December 2016 – Sworn in today as the ninth and next United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres pledged to reposition development at the centre of the Organization’s work and ensure that the UN can change to effectively meet the myriad challenges facing the international community.

“The United Nations needs to be nimble, efficient and effective. It must focus more on delivery and less on process; more on people and less on bureaucracy,” said Mr. Guterres after taking the oath of office at a ceremony before the 193-member UN General Assembly.

Mr. Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal (1995 to 2002) and former UN High Commissioner for Refugees (2005-2015) took the oath of office following the Assembly’s tribute to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who steps down at the end of the month after leading the global Organization for the past 10 years. Continue reading →

Human rights, democratic societies and sustainable development depend on the free flow of information. And the right to information depends on press freedom. Each year, we observe World Press Freedom Day to emphasize these fundamental principles, to protect the independence of the media and to honour media workers who risk and have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.Continue reading →

On the 22nd of April 175 world leaders signed the historic Paris Climate Agreement at United Nations Headquarters- promising that their countries will each play their part in limiting the global temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius.

Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan, Aristide Nononsi, on a visit to El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan, May 2015. Photo: UNAMID/Hamid Abdulsalam

GENEVA (12 April 2016) – The United Nations Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan, Aristide Nononsi, will carry out his second mission to the country from 14 to 28 April 2016 to assess the efforts being undertaken by the Sudanese Government to comply with its international human rights obligations.

“My assessment will focus on the protection of basic fundamental rights of Sudanese people, including civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights, with particular emphasis on the situation of internally displaced persons,” noted the Independent Expert.

20 November 2015 – The United Nations climate change conference, widely known as COP21 must be the turning point towards a low-emission, climate-resilient future, the top UN official dealing with climate issues said today just days before the start of the international gathering in Paris, France.

“World leaders have expressed their support for the COP and have reaffirmed that they will attend the start of the Conference on 30 November,” said Janos Pasztor, the UN Assistant Secretary-General on Climate Change, noting that more than 120 have confirmed their participation in the 21st Meeting of the States Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which is expected to run through 11 December.

World leaders begin pledging support as Secretary-General launches the “Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health” to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced over $25 billion in initial commitments spanning five years to help end preventable deaths of women, children and adolescents, and ensure their health and well-being. Heads of State and Government, international organizations, the private sector, foundations, civil society, research and academic institutions, and other key partners joined the event during the UN Summit for the adoption of the sustainable development agenda to pledge their support to the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health.

Broad, universal agenda to end poverty, fight inequality and protect environment is unprecedented

New York, 25 September – A bold new global agenda to end poverty by 2030 and pursue a sustainable future was unanimously adopted today by the 193 Member States of the United Nations at the start of a three-day Summit on Sustainable Development.

The historic adoption of the new Sustainable Development Agenda, with 17 global goals at its core, was met with a thunderous standing ovation from delegations that included many of the more than 150 world leaders who will be addressing the Summit. Continue reading →